Should I worry about mercury in dental fillings?
With last winter’s story of a Fall River man hospitalized from acute mercury poisoning related to melting dental scrap , should individuals with fillings be concerned? Is there a need to remove fill ...

Dental Caries: Risk Assessment & Warning Signs

Medical providers are encouraged to examine children's teeth at each well child visit to look for the following caries risk factors:

White spots on the teeth

Cavities

Poor oral hygiene (the teeth look "fuzzy")

Parents or siblings with cavities

A high frequency of sugar-containing snacks or drinks

Ad lib use of the bottle or sippy cup

Poor or inconsistent access to health care

Children with these risk factors should be referred to a dentist right away for treatment. All children should be treated with fluoride varnish by a medical provider, as well as referred to a dentist for regular checkups.

Professional Development for RI Health Care Providers

From the First Tooth (a DentaQuest funded program) offers free Lunch and Learn trainings in your office for you and your staff. For more information on how to request training in fluoride varnish application, contact Jan Ruh at JanRRuh@gmail.com or call her at 860.977.9233.

Reimbursement Information for RI Health Care Providers

RIte Care (Neighborhood Health Plan of RI and United Healthcare) will reimburse for fluoride varnish applications for children ages 6 – 48 months, twice per year at $13-$18 per application. Physicians, PAs, APRNs, nurses and medical assistants are all able to apply fluoride varnish quickly and easily. Medical providers will be paid for the procedure even if a dentist has already seen the child.

To help you start applying fluoride varnish in your office, From the First Tooth has created a resource that provides an overview of the reimbursement process. Notes about the Current Dental Terminology (CDT) codes and frequency are included. Download and review the fluoride varnish reimbursement resource here.